Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-12-15
A FREAK OF NATURE.
Tho Strange Liquid Perpetualiy ObElnR
from tho "F0untnin ar BLOOD"

Tho Strange Liquid Pcrpctuniiy OoElns
from tho "Fountnin of Blood"
Near tho town of Yirtud. In Hon
duras. South America, there exists
what Is known as tho Fountain OF
Blood" 1t received this name on ac-
count of tho curious red liquid which
is pcrpo!ually oozing and dropping
from tho roof of cavern, and which.
OH falling. coagulatcs and exactly re.
somblcs human blood. Like blood.
also. II speedily corrupis and cmits nm
odor of animal decay. Insects deposit
their larvae in it. and dogs and carrion
birds flock TO feast upon 1t. We arc
informed by one who has witnessed it
that the grotto is tho nightly haunt OF
multitudcs of large bats, which, like
the dogs and birds, feast upon this
strange liquid. which has not only the
smell but tho taste of blood. A fear.
full odor is pcrccpiibc at consider
able distance from the cavern. and
when it is reached masses of tho
blood may be seen IN n
state of jclliiicd ooagnlation.
Numerous attempts have been made to
obtain q portion of this blood-likc
liquid for analytical purposes, but in
every case without success. in consc.
qucncc of rapid decomposition, which
causes the bottles to burst The late
Don Rafael O'cjo undertook TO trans
init some bottles of it TO London. but
his intention was frustrated by the
bursting of the bottles, and tia in less
than twcniy-fpur hours after sealing
,hcm. Mr.. T. &. Squicr did once sue
cccdcd in taking back with him To
New York two bottles of the l'quid.
largely diluted with water. but ii be-
camc very offensive, and no salts
factory explanation of the phcnom-
cnon could be obtained. We give tho
neutrality-suspicious. the most salts
factory-cxplanation tina, has been re-
ccivcd. |, was written by ono who
undertook the journey in order to
satisfy his curiosity: 1.-The principal
cave" he SAYS. sis II Gssurc about fiji
teen or twenty feet high. and live or six
wide u, the entrance. but it rapidly mar
rows. 20 that man can only follow IL
for thirty or forty feet. 1t abounds
with hugo bats. which cling IN masses
To the narrower part of the assure.
The stencil j. strongly ammoniacal,
and 50 intense that | was obliged TO
retire thrice before l could procure
from the inncrmOst Part that | could
reach sufficient quantity of tho
material To fill the bottles of alcohol
which | had carried with me for the
purpose. In the rainy season small
current of red matter, like blood.
flows from tho cave into the streams;
but i'm the dry season the water ceases
TO pcrcolatc through the roof and back
of The cave. and the flow ceases. AT
my visit it had already stopped, but
several inches deep with n jclly-likc
or pasty mass. which gave blood-rcd
color when mixed with water. On tho
sides of the cave were clottcd masses,
looking like dried blood. which had
run down from above; and in the mar
rowcst parts that l could reach in tho
recess of tho fssurcs l collected with
my knife some fresh semi fluid
matter which the insects had not
attacked Examined with u micro
scope on tho spot, IL exhibited
no living particles, nor in fact,
any thing but minute fragments
of the digcstcd debris of insects. From
the tint If the red color was ut first
inclined TO believe that it might result
from the generation of sulphocyanido
of ammonium during the pu,rcfaction
of the animal cXcrctions. and the reac-
ton of that substance with trace OF
iron in the water pcrcola,ing through
the sandstone. But Mr. W. I. Taylor.
to whom submitted some of the solid
matter collected. rs also the cmi-huid
preserved In alcohol, writes me that
lie can not detect any iron in tho red
solution. and that it appears tc be on
tircly an organic coloring matter. Tho
insolublc substance has been found by
Dr.. Loily to consist chiefly of chilinc.
undiscs,cd fragments of insects.
mingled with bats hair and homogcnc.
Gus granular matter" In country
like South America, where scientific
knowledge can hardly be said to exist.
n freak OF nature of this extraordinary
description could not fail to become
al object of great and supcrs'itious
wonder. and many weird and mar
vclous stories are current concerning
tho fountain of Blood. "-CaSscHs
SaturLaS Journal